About the Show

With Jordan E. Cooper, Stevie Walker-Webb, and songs by Donald Lawrence.

Set in Laurel, Mississippi, this new play unfolds at a backyard birthday BBQ for family patriarch Lewis. The day takes a chaotic turn when his estranged son Keyshawn returns unexpectedly, sparking a chain of surreal and outrageous events. As rising floodwaters threaten to overtake the town, the Johnson family faces a reckoning that reimagines the biblical tale of Noah’s Ark through a contemporary, irreverent lens.

The production is written by Jordan E. Cooper (Ain’t No Mo’) and directed by Stevie Walker-Webb (Ain’t No Mo’, Fairview), both Tony Award nominees. Cooper also stars as Keyshawn. The play features original gospel compositions by Grammy Award-winning artist Donald Lawrence (The Tri-City Singers, I Speak Life), bringing a unique musical dimension to the piece.

Critic Reviews (8)

"Under the direction of Stevie Walker-Webb, 'Oh Happy Day!' covers a lot of ground, but its main theme is the age-old question: What is the role of God in the face of unimaginable suffering?"
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"To Cooper’s credit, 'Oh Happy Day!' puts a unique spin on the classic son-versus-dad chestnut, giving us not one but two shouting matches with two fathers."
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"Cooper writes piercing, painful dialogue that paints a complete family history of misunderstandings, prejudices, and religious righteousness at its worst."
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If you don’t like plays in which you have to suspend your disbelief, this is not for you.
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“Members of the LGBTQ community already have God's love. What is needed is acceptance, agency, and equality—not another play that loses itself while its protagonist attempts to find his redemption.”
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" 'Oh Happy Day!' may sound like church: The plot retells the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark; a divinely-dressed trio called the Divines belt out original gospel songs"
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‘Oh Happy Day!’ is messy, in the same way that life can be messy. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s raw, and ultimately uplifting
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A flirtation that challenges us.
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